Man dead and woman in critical condition after Peterborough house fire

A man has died and a woman is in a critical condition in hospital after a house fire broke out at dawn.

Police are treating the blaze in the Paston area of Peterborough as unexplained and say they are "keeping an open mind" about the cause.

They have organised extra patrols around the Crabtree estate through the day to reassure residents.

Drone images show the burnt-out debris at the back of the property, where the walls have been charred black under the fire-damaged render.

Police were called at 6am on Monday by the fire service, along with paramedics.

A man was declared dead at the scene and a woman was taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition.

Supt Neil Billany said: “We are investigating this fire alongside the fire service to try to understand the cause of this tragic incident. We are treating it as unexplained and are keeping an open mind around the cause.

“We understand it may be concerning for local residents, but we are treating this as an isolated incident and there are extra police officers in the area today."

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or online and quote incident 76 of 19 June.

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